Not as solid as stone
by Sagatw2099
Summary: Reposted! Formally Dumbledore's Christmas Mischief. Look for chapter two soon


Disclaimer: Yeah…don't own them. Wish I did…there'd be a dungeon

A/N: Many thanks to my beta, Katharine! You get a cookie.

My apologies to all my readers for the formatting issues. They will be fixed…if fanfiction doesn't kill me first. Look for chapter two coming soon: Hogwarts a week before Christmas. Hermione's thoughts on our favorite professor. Thanks for all the reviews.

Not as Solid as stone  
  
  
The festive Christmas feeling was in the air as Hermione decorated her Head Girl rooms with a swish of her wand. She stood back and admired her work. 

A Christmas tree of just the right size stood in the far corner of the room next to the roaring fireplace. A steady streamer of garland was running the course of the room from the ceiling to the mantle. She sniffed the air curiously. 

Hmm, the spell must have included a cinnamon scent. It was nice, she reflected, having a room all to herself so she could decorate exactly how she wanted it. She closed her eyes and inhaled the Christmasy scent.  
  
  
She glanced at the clock above the fireplace. It read 9:09 pm. Well, she thought, I'd better start patrolling the corridors. It was the one part of being Head Girl that she despised. 

It wasn't that she minded taking points away from devious Slytherins, or that she hated walking the corridors late at night. It was the possibility of crossing paths with her fellow patroller… 

Severus Snape.  
Professor Snape.  
Severus.  
  
  
It wasn't all bad, but there was always the possibility that she'd come face to face with him. As she had done last fortnight. She reddened at the memory.  
  
She remembered she had barely enough time to collect her thoughts before realizing that the stone wall she had smacked into was not, in fact, a wall at all. Though it was debated if he was made of stone or not. He had merely given her a sharp glance and moved on his way. But what made her redden was the memory of the spark in his eyes when he registered whom the offender of his space was.  
  
Hermione shook the thought from her head and concentrated on her work as she sent a pair of Ravenclaw 5th years fleeing from the Charms corridor after deducting 10 points from each of them.  
   
  
  
Meanwhile, Dumbledore smiled as he popped another lemon drop into his mouth.   
He had been contemplating Severus' Christmas gift for some time now. He   
remembered with a start that night in the third floor corridor. He had been conveniently hidden behind the red velvet curtains as he watched Severus' reaction to the beautiful Head Girl. Some things never change, do they, Dumbledore muttered to himself. 

Yet, he smiled. He knew what to do for Severus' present.   
  
  
The Great Hall was decorated in true Dumbledore fashion. There was the   
perfunctory trees lining the outer walls, and there were the usual floating candles. Yet this year there was something else, snow was falling on the Hall's occupants. 

Odd, Hermione thought, as she took her place at the table.   
But a closer examination of this "snow" revealed it to be small flakes of crystal shimmering in the candlelight. Quite pretty actually, she mused.   
Everyone seemed to enjoy the addition to the Christmas spirit except one dark figure. Not surprising thought Hermione. Snape had never been much for Christmas, she remembered. Though, come to think of it, he'd never been much for any day. Least of all a holiday. 

She observed as he attempted in vain to shake away the shimmering flakes from his black robes. At that she couldn't help but smile. 

And someone else in the Great Hall was observing this.  
  
  
Hermione awoke smiling. It was Christmas morning. She took a minute to   
stretch before sitting up and peering at the presents stacked at the foot of her bed. There was the usual gift from Harry - a book on the latest Transfiguration research. 

Ever since fourth year when she discovered Rita Skeeter's secret, she had developed a great interest in transfiguration. Ron's gift was also predictable. A large box of sugar-free candy from Honeydukes. Although he complained whenever she tried to offer him anything without sugar, they had come to a mutual understanding. Though he didn't understand the point of eating anything without sugar in it, he respected   
Hermione's tastes. 

Yet, there was something not predictable lying on her bed as well. Under all the presents from the first year girls (Dear Hermione,   
thanks so much for making me feel welcome), there was a small gold wrapped package. There was no card attached. Funny, she thought. And she reached to open the small gift. The wrapping fell away at her touch, and revealed a sparkling emerald necklace. She gasped. She suspected however, that it must be from Ron. He had always had a particular interest in her since last year at the ball when he "accidentally" tripped into her. 

She sighed deeply. 

She decided to bring the necklace with her to breakfast and discreetly explain to Ron that although she loved him deeply as a friend, she could never allow   
things to progress beyond that.  
  
  
She told him as much when she reached the Great Hall. Harry and Ron were already in their traditional Weasley jumpers, each with a Gryffindor lion on the front. Ron looked hurt at her decision of just being friends, but he didn't know anything about the necklace. He told her as much.

"But, if not you," reasoned Hermione."Then who?" 

Ron and Harry both looked as puzzled as Hermione yet when she   
turned away to eat her breakfast, they exchanged knowing glances.  
"Perhaps you have a secret admirer," said Neville from across the table   
where he was sitting holding hands with Ginny. Ginny smiled happily, almost in a daze.  
"Maybe," Hermione said, but she was still puzzled. 

Across the Great Hall, Professor Snape sat down to his usual place at the head table. He glanced around at the happy young students filling the hall with laughter and smiles. He glared at nothing in particular. But his surly gaze was replaced by something unusual - confusion. Someone had mistakenly put a present on his seat. Yet, it was no mistake because when he touched the paper wrapping it vanished. The latest craze was to charm wrapping to unwrap itself when it came in contact with the intended recipient. He let out an involuntary gasp   
as he looked at the present. It was a first edition of Achievements in   
Potions. He examined the book closely as though not believing it. He opened the cover carefully and stared in shock at the writing there.  
  
Hope this makes you smile Severus,  
Yours always with love,  
Hermione  
  
  
Hermione gasped after a close examination of the necklace. Surely someone was playing a joke on her. She stared in disbelief at the

shimmering words on the back of the emerald setting.  
  
All my love, Severus  
  
Hermione rushed out of the Great Hall as soon as Dumbledore concluded the festivities. 

Yet someone else ran out into the corridor just as quick.   
Snape.  
"You!" exclaimed Hermione almost without thinking.  
"Ms. Granger, a word please," said Snape almost without emotion.  
   
  
  
They wordlessly made their way to the nearest classroom.  
"What is the meaning of this Ms Granger?!" exclaimed Snape as he held up the rare copy of Achievements in Potions.  
"What's what Professor?" said Hermione.  
"I should be asking you the same thing" and she held up the emerald necklace in the light of the Christmas tree in the corner of the Charms classroom.   
They exchanged looks of confusion, then without saying a word, Hermione took the book, and Snape snatched the necklace from her. 

They silently read the inscriptions and gazed in disbelief at eachother.  
"I didn't write this!" their voices spoke out in unison.  
"Well, if you didn't, then who did Severus?" asked Hermione. At the look on his face as she said his name, she gave him a harsh look. "Considering the circumstances I think it's safe to refer to eachother using our first   
names."  
"Well I most certainly do not know. But I DO know that I would never write something like that. You can be assured of that." spat Snape.  
"Oh, I see," said Hermione in a hushed voice.  
"I suppose it would be too horrible to ever confess your love for someone, wouldn't it?" Her words stung him. He stared at her for a minute.  
"No. That's not what I meant to say, I -"  
"Well, that's perfectly understood Professor"  
"What are you doing?"  
"What does it look like I'm doing?" said Hermione with equal vehemence.  
"It looks like you're putting on the necklace," Snape said with   
astonishment. And indeed she was. She turned the emerald over and gazed at it, the green hue sparkling in her eyes. 

She looked almost - no, don't say it boy, thought Snape. But he had already finished his thought. 

Looked almost heavenly.  
"Why, why would you wear something that says it's from me?"  
"Although you never intended me to have it, nor had any knowledge about it, its still a very pretty stone" said Hermione matter-of-factly, staring up into his eyes. 

Snape opened his mouth to respond when the door to the classroom opened with a flourish and more crystal flakes.  
  
  
In the doorway stood Albus Dumbledore. "I trust you've found your presents already," he said, his eyes sparkling with delight.  
"You!" said Snape. "You were the one who gave us the presents." Snape looked almost menacingly at the old man.  
"Yes I daresay I did," spoke Dumbledore. "And what may I ask, did the   
inscriptions read?"  
"Sir," Hermione said. "If you sent us the presents, surely you know what they say!"  
"My dear Hermione, I can merely encourage the event, I'm not superman, you know. I cannot decide what you think of one another. I just went on a little shopping trip and picked out the appropriate gifts. Your hearts did the rest."  
"You mean to say," Hermione started but Snape took over from there.  
"Yes Ms. Gr-Hermione, that's exactly what he means. The inscriptions only projected what our hearts feel. And I must ask, this is truly how you feel about me?" Snape asked almost fearful of her answer, of her rejection.  
Before Hermione opened her mouth to reply, Dumbledore looked from one to the other. 

"Well, I ah. must go meet Minerva for tea, I'd best be going," and   
with a smile, a wink, and a light dusting of shimmering crystals, he left.  
"Yes, Severus," said Hermione trembling with the weight of what she was   
about to say. "I love you"  
"You.. Love me? But how can you love me? I'm just the potions master you all call a greasy git."  
"No," said Hermione softly, reaching her hand up, her fingertips grazing his lips. "Severus, --"  
In that instant something dawned on the both of them. Something almost   
magical. Snape took her hands in his, and brought his lips to hers. The kiss that followed seemed to transport them. 

They were no longer professor and Head Girl. They were simply in love. Severus pulled away for a brief moment.   
His eyes were on fire with the passion they shared.  
"You don't mind wearing my house color then?" he asked, smiling and looked   
down at the bright emerald.  
"Severus, it's an honor," said Hermione before bringing her lips back over his for another kiss.  
   
  
  
Dumbledore hummed to himself as he stirred the two sugar cubes into his tea as he sat close to Minerva.  
"What is it darling?" Minerva asked as she sipped her tea.  
"Oh nothing," he said with a glint in his eyes, "Just a little Christmas mischief. And I daresay it went quite well." He leaned in to kiss her gently.  
  
  
In the weeks following, Professor Severus Snape actually began to smile and only four people knew why. And while his happiness did not stop him from deducting points from unsuspecting Gryffindors, his broad smile proved that he was not in fact, made of stone.


End file.
